Project Progress and Leftovers from 2009

The photo below represents a lot of work! This project (for work) began months ago...my first big assignment at Automobile Quarterly. I called so many wonderful people and persuaded them to send me their collectible plaques to be used in a montage as background pages in a very special 75th anniversary vault book for the Antique Automobile Club of America. Alas, I set them up as 'bleeding' to the edges instead of leaving a margin - I may have to re-do this tomorrow. No matter - the hardest part is done...until time to reorganize and mail the plaques back to the proper owners. Can anyone say 'jigsaw puzzle'?



Catching up on some 2009 activities I don't think I shared. Here are two photos from the extremely cool Children's Museum in Indianapolis. The dinosaur exhibit is primo! I believe these are life size. (I know they are humongous and much bigger than my life size.) The coolest part is that inside the building you could see the rest of the creature's bodies. So much fun! I know my kids would have loved this when they were young.





Actually, I think the photo below is from 2008. It was taken at night and was too dark to use, but I loved the idea of it and worked on it with Photoshop tonight. Not perfect, but it's readable now. I believe the building has been demolished. All the old department store windows may have been destroyed. I have dark photos of most of them and hope to make them usable for my artwork. Victoria Secret, anyone?



Just after Christmas we went to a holiday store. I bought nothing, but snapped this photo of a lifesized Old World Santa. Just because I like him, I am sharing him. Hmmm - he may be my 2010 Christmas card.




Here's my newest little piece. I made multiples I had so much fun with it. I haven't done collage in ages, though it's a favorite medium.



Calligraphy. A few end-of-year envelopes. I'm loving lettering again and want to do more! (I have just accepted a small volunteer job for a former student who works with the needy. A 'positive message' sign to hang in her office.)



My 2009 birthday card exchange offering. Different sizes and colors, but most were basically like this one.



Life at work and at home is getting busier. I have a wedding job coming right up, want to take a life drawing class beginning this month, will join some friends for a monthly greeting card class (also beginning this month), and have signed up for an out of town spring watercolor workshop. In addition I have to quickly determine if I can attend a week-long calligraphy retreat in September that I've been honored to be invited to, whether I'll attend Odyssey, the annual calligraphy conference and hardest of all - figure how I'll have enough vacation time to do everything I want to do - including entertain a friend from Argentina in the spring and visit him in the fall. Whew! At work, I've been assigned a few new projects. I'm digging in, working hard and enjoying every day. I'm also wondering about cloning.